updated 01:10 pm EDT, Tue May 25, 2010

Google Chrome stable gets speed, prefs sync

Google today released its first finished, stable version of Chrome 5 for Linux and the Mac with many of the improvements from the beta. These and the Windows version should now be even faster in JavaScript, up to 35 percent, and gets not only bookmark sync but preferences as well. When signed in, the browser can transfer content settings, filters, themes and other details, even across different operating systems.

The release is a minor gaffe for Adobe as its promised Flash integration wasn't ready in time for the stable build. It nonetheless includes multiple HTML5 features, such as the ability to cache web apps offline, geolocation services and web sockets. Chrome's bookmark manager itself uses HTML5.

Google is launching the stable version across Linux, Mac and Windows at the same time.

ditch the unified search/address bar

ditch the unified search/address bar and I'm game.
I don't need Google or anyone interpreting my input (often wrongly)
If I type apple in the address bar, I want to be taken to www.apple.com, I don't need all this other nonsense popping up.

The unified bar keeps me from using it, but Chrome is otherwise shaping up to be a pretty good browser, but it doesn't look like it will be replacing Camino for me anytime soon

Privacy issues

Chrome is often referred to by security people as "a data mining tool disguised as a browser." I know its kind of fashionable to dismiss privacy concerns, but IMHO Chrome should come with a warning sticker detailing the many (known) ways Chrome compromises your online privacy:

1. Constant background daemon running, reporting to the Google servers.
2. Unique ID tied to each copy of the browser, along with your IP, tracks everything you do with it.
3. Google's ads can't be blocked -- indeed, many would argue that the entire PURPOSE of the browser is to develop a profile of you and serve you targeted ads (ah, if only it were that benign!).

Of course users are free to choose whatever browser they like, but I think they should know what they're getting into. Google doesn't tell you any of this.

Didn't bother fixing the Font Bug

I use Suitcase Fusion to deal with my Fonts, and Google Chrome for Mac has not been able to deal with this since the first beta, and now they release a "stable version" with the exact same problem! WTF! Ridiculous!